Letters are posted as we receive them during the week, and before they are printed in the paper, so check back frequently to see new letters. If you'd like to send a letter to the editor, use this postmarks submission form, or email your letter directly to mail@austinchronicle.com. Thanks for your patience.

Dear Editor,
    McCain-Palin supporters have practically run out of lies to spread about Barack Obama. Consider the baseless mudslinging they've done recently. According to them, Obama is a foreigner, a Muslim, a socialist, a communist, a terrorist, and the Antichrist.
    What other off-the-wall hot-button charge could they come up with? He personally performs abortions on unwilling Christian women? Surely, everyone recognizes by now that McCain is the boy who cried wolf, or is it "Fox"?
    If you need a reason, besides McCain's voting record, to believe that he would continue the destruction of America and its values pursued so adamantly by Bush-Cheney, just watch how he follows the Bush-Cheney tradition of lying. They're lockstep liars.

Dear Editor,
    It must be evident to all that our media is blatantly pro-Barack Obama. Reminds me of the Clinton campaign in which the media refused to acknowledge Gennifer Flowers. Yes, they have been liberal in their world-view for decades, but this year they are only covering one candidate for president and intentionally knifing the other. This isn’t journalism; it is simply one-sided propaganda. Here we are in the voting process for our president, one of which has not even been halfway presented to the country by a press that is supposed to be our watchdog.
    The image of Obama that the media has presented to the public is one not even close to the real man. They have ignored whole years of his life and shown a lack of curiosity about those gaps. The public image of Obama is of a “man who never was.” His gaffes and ignorance of important information are not reported. His two years at Columbia with former terrorist Bill Ayres does not stir their curiosity, although in only two weeks they have focused on all the colleges Gov. Sarah Palin has attended, her husband’s driving habits 20 years ago, and close criticism of her political opponents. No attention is given to Obama’s rise in the famously sordid Chicago political machine with the full support of Boss Daley.
    The public will be voting based on the idealized image of the man that never was. If he wins, we will be governed by the sunken, cynical man Obama really is. All we can do is hope the American people are smarter than the media thinks we are.

Dear Editor,
    Lee Nichols wrote, “Voting straight-ticket is safe” [“Headlines,” News, Oct. 24]. Given the information available at the time, it made sense. New information just released proves otherwise. We are reporting to Chronicle readers that with e-vote machines, straight-ticket voting is not safe.
    Election integrity expert Bev Harris writes on her website www.blackboxvoting.org, “Never choose the straight party vote option, because it alerts the computer as to your party preference and allows software code to trigger whatever function the programmer has designed.”
    Indeed, already during early voting, reports have come in to www.voterescue.org and www.votersunite.org that voters choosing straight-party have seen their votes flip from Obama to McCain all over the country!
    Straight-party voting has been wrongly advocated by election officials and the Democratic Party.
    Amazingly, Democratic (Party) leaders continue to advise straight-party voting despite our experts’ warnings. It is not that difficult to select each individual candidate on the ballot. It is a simple precaution that voters can take. Whether or not you agree or disagree on this critical matter, we suggest you select each candidate individually to be on the safe side.
    Citizens can learn more about the risks of straight-ticket voting and also learn how to help monitor the Nov. 4 election in “Protect the Count” on www.blackboxvoting.org. Concerned voters in Texas can also contact www.voterescue.org about Election Day monitoring.

Dear Editor,
    I think it’s time to talk about education. Full disclosure: I’m a college graduate, and I’m attending graduate school online. However, not everyone is destined to go to college right after high school, full time for four years. I think it’s time to start saying that there are other ways to further one’s education. Someone once said to me that students go into the offices of guidance counselors, and the matrix shows four years of high school immediately followed by four years of college. The current system is making indentured servants, not leaders.
    Folks, these days employers want experience. When you expect students to follow the one-size-fits-all strategy to higher education, you encourage young adults to be servants to debt. We ought to pull for more part-time students, online students, students who take time off and come back, and students who make their own decisions. Parents are making the decisions, paying the bills, and dealing with their own households. Let young adults have some of their adulthood back. Make them determine whether they want to go to college, grad school, trade school, or start a business. We’re not going to get more leaders until we start getting more plans for success based on individual capabilities.

Dear Editor,
    Austin's citizens have the opportunity next Tuesday to send a clear message to our elected leaders that subsidizing high-end shopping mall developers is an unacceptable use of our city's sales and property tax revenues. A vote for Proposition 2 is a vote for fiscal responsibility that our mayor and City Council will clearly understand.

Dear Editor,
    I hear the bellowing of the ancient beast. The sound is coming from far away. Another time the mighty water buffaloes swaggered and strutted across the land. “Socialist,” it bellows. “Redistribution of wealth,” it roars. But the other animals no longer listen. With busted pension plans and no homes to go back to, they can only watch as the old beast snarls and thrashes about, spinning wildly in circles before slamming to the ground with a mighty crash. The woolly headed mammal smiles. He knows the time of the beast has come and gone even as the overstuffed creature refuses to give. “Equality in taxation, health care for all,” the woolly headed mammal counters. With that, the old beast rises and gives a final holler, “Terrorist lover,” it screams, before slamming to the ground with an awful thud! The other animals linger awhile before slowly walking away, remembering when the water buffalo was young and strong, before it became bloated and consumed with debt. The woolly headed mammal waits and ponders the fate of the huge behemoth. What happened to cause this huge beast to come to such an end, it wonders. "Quid pro quo," it says as it lumbers off toward the other animals. "Quid pro quo."

Dear Editor,
    I live in East Austin along the tracks of the soon-to-be commuter line. A six-foot-tall chain-link fence is going up along the tracks from intersection to intersection. Is the entire length of this track to be fenced? How much is all this fencing costing us? Do miles of barrier fencing increase the city’s walkability? Meanwhile, bus fares are increasing, 'Dillo service is reduced and no longer free, and special transit cut back. The L.A. transit company was sued when they spent too much on suburban commuters at the expense of central city residents. Wouldn’t increased rapid bus service, bike lanes, and sidewalks be a more effective use of our money than these high tech, high-dollar projects? Be sure to wave when you ride that train: I’ll be behind the fence.

Dear Editor,
    The Chronicle’s election coverage and its emphasis on voting as an civic obligation has been well received.
    In my opinion, history is more likely to repeat itself if mistrust in the political system leads to continued apathy and a corresponding lack of civic engagement.
    It can easily be argued that, in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, the 18 to 26 year-old population mainly sat on the sidelines and voted in unimpressive numbers. Other voting blocks had poor voting numbers as well, particularly when compared to other nations who cherish the right to vote. Votes from younger voters would have changed these two elections, thereby changing world history for the past eight years.
    So, put down your party equipment, and get to the damn early-voting polls.

Dear Editor,
    Opal Divine's, like 99% of Austin’s local businesses, has been subsidy-free since day one. We generally don’t get into political issues. We are coming out publicly in support of Proposition 2 to keep Austin out of the retail subsidy business.
    I strongly urge anyone who is unclear on Proposition 2 to visit www.stopdomainsubsidies.com and check out the videos explaining the history of this deal. There is a lot of sound-bite ad spending going on by the opposition to this proposition that isn’t telling the whole story. Voting down Proposition 2 is asking Austin voters to subsidize competition for local businesses. More than 500 local businesses have come out in favor of Proposition 2. Please help support local businesses, and vote “yes” on Proposition 2.

Dear Editor,
    Proposition 2 needs our “for” vote. This means that citizens don’t want tax subsidies supporting a luxury retail development “out of touch” and “out of bounds” for Austin. A “for” vote corrects a very unwise decision made by the City Council years ago. It is our right to do so. Such an action would be similar to shareholders of a corporation overturning a reckless decision of its board of directors.
    Rarely do we as citizens get a chance at a “do over.” And, we thank Brian Rodgers and many others for their persistence and diligence in getting this issue rightfully to the voters.
    Up until this election, most people had no idea of the millions in tax subsidies supporting the center in North Austin. When we ask our customers if they have been there, some say yes. When we ask what they thought, the answer is it is not Austin. When we ask further if they knew that tax dollars are subsidizing it, they are aghast.
    As longstanding and well-known retailers in Austin, we are not against appropriate development under the right circumstances. It is vital. The old Mueller Airport comes to mind. But the Domain was unnecessary.
    We believe passage of Prop. 2 will not damage other efforts to develop Austin in a thoughtful manner consistent with our communitywide values. But our values were not considered when the unnecessary subsidies were granted to national developers greedy on turning Austin in to Dallas or Houston.

Dear Editors,
    Whether it’s the Domain mall subsidies, last year’s proposed forgivable $750,000 loan to Las Manitas, or the city’s failed investment in Don Limon’s Restaurant & Cantina back in the Nineties, the city should not be in the business of subsidizing retail development. That’s why I am voting for Proposition 2.

Dear Editor,
    I just got back from my honeymoon in Spain and noticed Capital Metro fares went up. Does this mean that I can no longer use my University of Texas student ID that expired a year and a half ago to ride for free?

Dear Editor,
    The main job of the vice president is to be ready to step into the role of president at a moment’s notice. In an attempt to make Sarah Palin a palatable choice as McCain’s running mate, the Republicans are trying to pretend she has foreign-policy credentials by pointing out that Alaska is right next to Russia. McCain himself has stated this in his stump speeches, and Palin, in her famous television interview with Charles Gibson, excitedly expounded that one can actually see some part of Russia from some part of Alaska.
    The obvious suggestion here is that this somehow makes her qualified to deal in an executive capacity with not only Russia but the whole wide world in general.
    By this quirky reasoning, I guess when I’m looking at the moon from my back yard, I’m qualified to be an astronaut.

Dear Louis Black,
    I just read both your article with your reservations about Prop. 2 being passed ["Page Two," Oct. 24] and also the united damning of the Chronicle’s position in the letters section ["Postmarks," Oct. 24]. I do not agree with the Chronicle’s stance, but I do I believe you have a right to your opinion.
    I would like to state two reasons why I voted yes on Prop. 2:
    1) Have you ever been to the Domain? I live and work near there and not too long ago went over to see what the fuss was all about. It seemed to me to be everything that I do not want Austin to become. High-cost stores with no redeeming features. The architecture is all wrong for Texas. Talk about traffic problems! Who could ever dream up such a completely undrivable or unwalkable area? I’m glad I went; I can tell people who have never been there to not bother going. But I will never go again. To me, the Domain represents all that is wrong with corporate America. God forbid that I should live to see the rest of Austin become like the Domain.
    2) Most Americans feel that we have been royally screwed from every side. To me and a whole lot of other people, this is another way the government (city of Austin, this time) works against the very people who elect it and pay its salaries. To say nothing of the local businesses that get no financial breaks. So this time the people of Austin choose to fight back. Which just horrifies those who made this anti-Austin deal in the first place. Tough.

Dear Editor,
    In last week’s Chronicle, Michael King told us that we should oppose Proposition 2 ["Point Austin: Unpropped,” News, Oct. 17] because of the potential unintended consequences “causing municipal headaches and unnecessary expense over other projects (i.e., projects other than the Domain), while eliminating a useful city tool that can and has worked well.” A couple of days later, I get a letter in the mail from Will Wynn in which he emphatically states that “Proposition 2 would not change the City’s current or future incentive policy in any way,” citing this as a reason we should oppose Prop. 2. Can you people at least get your stories straight? It’s insulting to Austin voters that you seem to believe that you can get us to vote against Prop. 2 for mutually exclusive reasons! Louis Black tells us the decision to oppose Prop. 2 was a difficult one ["Page Two,” Oct. 24], with “even more division than usual, even among Chronicle staff.” If that’s the case, then why the uninterrupted stream of anti-Prop. 2 articles? How about giving 1,000 words of column space to someone who supports Prop. 2 and letting voters think for themselves? That might allow someone to respond to Katherine Gregor’s Chicken Little assertions about how Prop. 2 would kill the Mueller deal ["Developing Stories: Controlling Developers,” News, Oct. 24], not to mention end affordable housing forevermore. Let me use my remaining 100 words to take a haikulike stab at responding to Gregor: If the city had simply blanketed Mueller with CBD-CURE zoning and sold it to the highest bidder, they would have been able to build at least 10 times as much affordable housing, with plenty of money left over for libraries, parks, and infrastructure. Instead, they decided to basically give the land to an out-of-state developer. If there’s any deal that needs to be carefully looked over again, it’s Mueller!

Dear Editor,
    I have an idea on how to combat election fraud that I want to share with you. Private individuals, corporations, and foundations could make donations to a nonprofit foundation to purchase new voting machines for every precinct for every county. These voting machines would print out a receipt that the voter could take with them that has the voter registration number and the results of the voter. It would be in plain English. Optical scanning equipment could be used to tally the votes.
    This receipt could be kept by the voter. The voter could have the receipt scanned by an independent, and the receipt would be kept by the voter. The results would be able to be audited. This could then be compared to the tally of the local precinct.
    The cost to purchase such equipment would be too great for many small precincts, and that is why it is necessary for private groups to step up to the plate to help in this process. What do you think about this? We have the technology to do this. This would prevent dead people from voting, too.
    If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we do this?

Dear Editor,
    A receipt from H-E-B blew into my yard the other day. I picked it up. On the top, it read that it had been paid with a food-stamp account. The purchased items were some pop-fizz candy, a Twix, a six-pack of Hill Country Fare cola, and a HCF strawberry soda. Now, I am certainly not against providing the needy with food, but I am sure as hell against paying for these sugar-laden poisons to be consumed, and I think most people would also not want to pay for the health problems arising from the consumption of such junk. I urge you to look into this. Do H-E-B and other supermarket chains lobby for their generic junk food to be subsidized as are their staples? Is this practice allowed to keep the poor in “their place,” as it’s always seemed to me that extra payouts for extra children do? As long as abuses like this occur, you can be sure of two things: at least opposition to social programs by many of the wealthy and the continuing decline in the health of the poor, which necessarily leads to more poverty.

Dear Editor,
    Why Proposition 2 should be supported: Mr. Bunch of the Save Our Springs Alliance ["Postmarks,” Oct. 24] raised an important legal matter as to why Proposition 2 should be supported: that the agreement with Domain was illegal under Texas law. I will offer that, as an underpinning legal and philosophical argument, the act of local governments in giving tax breaks of this sort to specific entities (always very large business interests) violates the equal protection of the laws. While I am not going to spend time arguing the actual legal question, it is obvious that these giveaways benefit these groups without any proof that the rest of the community or the local government actually benefits from them. As a result, the hardworking property owners and small-business owners wind up paying for these unwise transactions. The only money that should be given to such developments are for specific costs incurred by the developers that could be providing infrastructure normally provided by a local government (such as putting in streets and water lines). It is clear that the Domain is getting much more than what it spent on any infrastructure. Many friends of mine in small businesses here get little support from the city government, particularly when it comes to understanding the myriad regulations and departments that a business person has to deal with. I have no problem undoing an illegal and immoral contract in which the city of Austin should never have been involved. I think the city of Austin should lead the way in showing all governmental entities that these acts of favoritism and giving away benefits to a few is immoral and should be stopped.

Dear Editor,
    Whoever wrote your Best Secret Place to Party: The Beast House ["Best of Austin,” Oct. 17] needs to take their fucking neon shirt and move back to L.A. where they apparently came from. It’s mind-numbingly lame that the coolest secret party your stable of critics was able to find was a cigarette promotion with free Pac-Man and a pool table. What the fuck? New voice of AC: “Hey guys, you know what I think of when I think of great Austin partying? That great time when Real World was here, and we saw them on Sixth Street. Remember that? That one dude punched that other dude. Yeah, it was totally awesome! My leg was totally in the background on TV.”

Dear Editor:
    Thank you for the Chronicle’s endorsement against Proposition 2 and for Michael King’s and Katherine Gregor’s thoughtful articles on the topic [“Point Austin: Unpropped,” News, Oct. 17, “Developing Stories: Controlling Developers,” News, Oct. 24]. To those readers who are still on the fence, allow me to reiterate that this charter amendment would have far wider reaching consequences than simply canceling the ill-conceived Domain deal. It would affect the ability of the well-conceived Mueller development to deliver on its promise and the city’s ability to shape future mixed-use development in the public interest.
    Mueller is an asset to surrounding East Austin neighborhoods and the city as a whole. The innovative result of a public-private partnership with extensive input from Austin citizens, Mueller will provide more than 140 acres of public parks and green space; affordable housing for over 1,000 families, or 25% of the total housing stock; and a vibrant town center with at least 30% of the space reserved for local businesses. While tax-increment financing is exempt under Prop. 2, incentives tied to sales tax, even if used to pay for infrastructure in future phases, are not. If Prop. 2 passes, $12 million in bonds already issued would be canceled, and the 1,000-plus page development contract would have to be renegotiated. There is no guarantee that Austin would walk away with the same mix of benefits, including those that help local businesses.
    By prohibiting financial incentives to projects with any retail components, Prop. 2 would severely restrict the city’s ability to encourage future mixed-use, New Urbanist developments. It may shape the redevelopment at the Green Water Treatment Plant, like Mueller, publicly owned land, where local government and citizens should have a significant say in the outcome of the project. It would hinder affordable housing incentives in other mixed-use projects. The charter amendment goes too far, and consideration of its implications is not a “no brainer.” Please vote no on Prop. 2.

Dear Editor,
    John McCain, in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, said that Sarah Palin lives a frugal lifestyle and that her family was not wealthy. He was explaining why the campaign had purchased [for] Palin $150,000 in new clothes. According to the McCain website, Palin’s family income for last year was about $170,000. First off, if you cannot afford to dress yourself nicely on a budget of $170,000, the money is not the problem. McCain said that she has been thrust into the spotlight. Um … isn’t she the governor of Alaska? What has she been wearing for that job? Sweatpants and an Iditarod T-shirt?
    She isn’t wealthy? I realize she is not up to the Cindy McCain standard of wealthy, but surely $170,000 puts you in the upper income level.

Dear Editor,
    In response to your review of Max Payne [Film Listings, Oct. 24] – Max Payne and Max Payne 2 were both third-person shooters (behind the back), not first-person shooters (through the eyes of the character). Get your facts straight.

Dear Editor,
    Valinda Bolton is a proven bipartisan state representative that works for the common good of all of her constituents and will not be a puppet for Tom Craddick and his right-hand minion Terry Keel ["Great Works of Political Fiction,” News, Oct. 17]. Does Donna Keel expect anyone to believe that she does not know Craddick? What’s next: “I don’t know Terry Keel”? Just look at all the groups that have endorsed Rep. Bolton. They did so because she is an intelligent and highly effective legislator. Donna Keel has no legislative experience, is running on the Keel name-recognition platform, and is running a negative, attack-dog campaign that really turns people off. She is doing so because she has no legislative experience to promote, thus she is promoting her government auditor experience. Doesn’t it remind you of the McCain-Palin style of campaigning? District 47 will be best served by re-electing Valinda Bolton.
    The public is not fooled by Gerald Daugherty’s last-minute fix for the Highway 290 problems in Oak Hill which “coincidentally” were announced on the first day of early voting ["Precinct 3: Ye Olde Transportation Debate Takes Spotlight,” News, Oct. 24]. Why is it that it took a formidable challenge to his re-election bid to provide the “quick” fix? Precinct 3 will be better served by Karen Huber, a highly proactive, experienced facilitator of cooperative solutions to development and growth issues. We need a county commissioner that plans and does not react. We don’t need last-minute quick fixes to long-term problems. We need a person that sees the big picture and will work cooperatively to solve issues. That person is Karen Huber for Precinct 3 county commissioner.

Dear Editor,
    It’s not surprising that the Chronicle endorses the slick TV personalities and money generators [“'Chronicle' Endorsements,” News, Oct. 17]. You’d be well advised to vote the exact opposite of the Chronicle's recommendations. Recently, court papers have been filed with Philadelphia’s Federal Court in efforts to obtain Obama’s place of birth history. Apparently, there is a question surrounding Obama’s citizenship. Funny, this type of important news doesn’t seem to get the same widespread attention as his basketball playing. Yet, because of his good looks, smooth talking, celebrity endorsement, and campaign for “change,” most citizens are not questioning his huge (unknown) financial contributors, his recent tour abroad, or even his lineage to this country. The elitists and the naive have fallen in love and lost their minds, and the rest of us are going to suffer because of it. Obama will change the direction of this country all right, as is evident in the dictator propaganda – which so closely resembles dictatorships of the past – littering the streets, local businesses, and airways. Furthermore, it is wholly inappropriate to have local elected officials holding public picnics in his honor in support of his campaign. There should always remain a clear separation of government between the local and federal levels. Illegal immigrants and those who choose not to learn English should not be entitled to vote in U.S. elections, especially at the federal level. Our democracy has become muddled. This is contributing to our current political/corporate/monetary mess. We certainly need change, but be assured, Obama is not the change we need. More than likely, our country is in for big surprises, new direction, and a new world order. Best to get ready.

Dear Editor,
    God I love living in a city like Austin. Nothing like a city that practices welfare for the wealthy while pretending to be liberal. Sort of like Robin Hood and his merry men. Living in the forest, practicing yoga, saving the ecology, and robbing from the poor to give to the rich! Next thing you know, the Chronicle will be endorsing the likes of John McCain, Sarah Palin, and John Cornyn ["'Chronicle' Endorsements," News, Oct. 17]. Excuse me while I go throw up!